


Deaf Ears

by shadowsamurai



Category: New Tricks
Genre: Angst, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-12
Updated: 2012-06-12
Packaged: 2017-11-07 14:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/432129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsamurai/pseuds/shadowsamurai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Deaf ears. Like Strickland's words to her. Like her words to Brian. Like the team's words of comfort to Jack, or Brian's subtle cries for help. Unfortunately, Sandra knew there was no cure for deafness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deaf Ears

**Author's Note:**

> Brian-centric, though told from Sandra's PoV, sort of.
> 
> Spoilers: S5, Ep 7 'Communal Living' and S6, Ep 1 'The War Against Drugs'.
> 
> Inspired by the scene in Communal Living where Sandra is driving Brian back from the commune, and he zones out while she's talking to him.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;) 

NT-NT-NT-NT-NT-NT

If Sandra had said she had been dreading the call, she would have been lying. Expecting it, certainly, but never believed it would happen. Brian seemed fine, so it was all too easy to just carry on as normal and ignore the danger signs, bright as neon lights, all around. None of them, it seemed, ever learnt.

Sandra put the phone down, eyes squeezed tightly shut, and swore. Being such a close team as they were, anything that happened to one affected the others, personally and professionally. Esther's call to say Brian had relapsed was surprisingly calm; she told Sandra he wouldn't be going back to work any time soon, and that he would be put into a rehab centre. When Sandra offered to help, Esther declined, her tone bordering on icy. Sandra couldn't blame her. True, it was Brian who had returned to the alcohol, but the rest of them were just as guilty.

She poured a glass of wine, stared at it, then threw it down the sink and reached for a carton of juice instead, the talk a few weeks before with Brian standing at the front of her mind. In truth, it had been more of Sandra talking and Brian listening than an actual conversation, but the words she had spoken to him still resounded in her head.

*"Brian, you know…if you ever need to talk or…whatever, I'm here," Sandra had said as they waited in traffic. "And Jack and Gerry are as well. I know none of us have been through what you have, but we've all got our own problems and demons. Jack had the death…well, murder of his wife to cope with and he's still not over that. Gerry's got his gambling problem, as well as his family to look after. And me…well, less said, the better. I guess what I'm trying to say is we're all willing to help any way we can if you'll let us. Okay?" Sandra turned to look at Brian, who was staring out of the window.

"Yeah," he replied, turning to look at her, his eyes damp with unshed tears.

Sandra nodded, confident her message had been received and understood, and as the lights changed, she started driving again.*

Obviously Brian hadn't heard a word she had said to him, and Sandra wondered if things would have been any different if he had. But only briefly; she knew that once Brian had something in his head, nothing short of taking a JCB to his temple would remove it. Sighing, Sandra reached for the phone and started to make the calls.

First would be Jack and Gerry to apprise them of the situation, and to put a suggestion to them. She knew the Union would pay for most of Brian's treatment, but it wouldn't cover everything, and if Esther wanted the best for her husband, Sandra wasn't about to let her foot the bill. She was certain the guys would back her, and Sandra was confident that between the three of them, they would be able to cover the rest of the costs. Then she would contact the Union and arrange everything with them, as well as filling in the paperwork for a leave of absence for Brian. Strickland would be the last to be told; the longer Sandra could postpone it, the better. It was bad enough when Jack went AWOL, and as he hadn't been back that long, Strickland wouldn't look too kindly at Brian disappearing, though he had good reason to be away.

No, bollocks to the 'boss'. Not that Sandra was bothered by anything Strickland said. It usually fell on deaf ears. The pain of failure suddenly lanced her chest. Deaf ears. Like Strickland's words to her. Like her words to Brian. Like the team's words of comfort to Jack, or Brian's subtle cries for help.

Unfortunately, Sandra knew there was no cure for deafness.

FIN


End file.
